(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and control method thereof for performing predetermined image formation of multiple types of jobs input through job input means. The present invention is directed to an image forming apparatus which is called, for example, a digital multifunctional machine having the integrated functions of a copier, facsimile machine and scanner device and particularly being connected to a network so as to have the function of a printer for performing a printing job input via the network.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
As stated above, an image forming apparatus called a digital multifunctional machine has a copier function, printer function, facsimile function and scanner function, and is connected to terminal units such as personal computers etc., on a network and also connected to a telephone line.
Therefore, this image forming apparatus is equipped with a multiple number of job input means so that a multiple types of data such as document data, image data and other types of data can be exchanged with personal computers and facsimile machines or can be stored in the storage portion of the image forming apparatus and can be printed out as necessary.
Since various types of image forming jobs are effected in this image forming apparatus by multiple users, the apparatus is connected to terminal units such as personal computers so as to form a network such as a LAN. That is, image data and/or document data can be transmitted through the network so as to perform a printing job. This image forming apparatus may also be connected to a facsimile machine via the telephone line and perform a facsimile job by transmitting image data via the telephone line. Further, this machine scans original documents with its scanner device to perform a copying job.
Therefore, if various types of jobs are run in parallel from multiple users, images of different types of jobs are formed and output successively so that the formed images of different users come together. In addition to troublesome sorting being needed, there is a risk that the formed images may be lost or confidential content may be seen by others.
Further, if, while data of a print job is being transmitted from a terminal unit such as a personal computer etc., via the network, another user activates the scanner of the image forming apparatus to read documents and runs a large quantity of copying operations, there is a possibility that the execution of the print job will be held up. In this way, image forming apparatuses of this type, because of their multiplicity of functions, still have the problems about operativity, usefulness and job confidentiality.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus and its control method which can identify the individuality of the users who access the image forming apparatus and provide improved operativity for each user, by providing a control display in accordance with the type of a job if any reserved job for the user exists and which instantaneously produces images of the reserved job of the user to thereby assure the confidentiality and prevent the formed images from being lost.
It is another object of the present invention to improve the user operativity when a user has no reserved job in the image forming apparatus by providing a control display for the job type which is used most frequently.
It is a further object of the present invention to an image forming apparatus and its control method which, when a user having no reserved job accesses the image forming apparatus while there are reserved jobs of other users, prevents the reserved jobs of other users from being held up, by providing a control display for a job type which is used most frequently with the information of the jobs reserved by other users so as to enable the accessing user to consider if the copy job may take a long time or cause obstruction to the jobs of the other users.
In order to achieve the above objects, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: an input portion as input means for receiving different kinds of jobs; a storage portion as a storage means for storing a job with the user ID attached thereto; a radiocommunication portion as an identifying means for reading the user identification ID recorded in the information recording medium which a user accessing to the image forming apparatus holds; a controller as a determining means for determining whether the storage means is holding a job with the user identification ID of a user identified by the identifying means; and a control input portion for providing a control display.
Further detailed features of the present invention thus configured will be described as follows:
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus which stores a multiple number of image forming jobs in a storage means, performs predetermined image forming based on the image forming jobs, and has a control display portion for providing control display as to the jobs, includes:
an identifying means for identifying a user approaching the image forming apparatus; and
a control means for controlling the control display in the control display portion based on the status of stored image forming jobs in the storage means and the user identification information of a user who has been identified by the identifying means.
In accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus having the above first feature is characterized in that the control means provides a standard control display if the storage means holds no job with the user identification information.
In accordance with the third aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus having the above first feature is characterized in that the control means provides a standard control display along with the content display of the jobs stored in the storage means if the storage means holds no job with the user identification information of a user approaching the image forming apparatus while there exist other jobs in the storage portion.
In accordance with the fourth aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus having a storage means for storing a multiple number of image forming jobs and providing control display in accordance with the type of each job, includes:
a storage means for storing a job and the user identification ID attached thereto;
an identifying means for identifying a user approaching the image forming apparatus;
a determining means for determining whether the storage means is holding a job with the user identification ID of a user identified by the identifying means; and
a control means for providing a control display in accordance with the type of the job with the user identification ID of the user approaching the image forming apparatus when the storage means holds a job with the user identification ID.
In accordance with the fifth aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus having the above fourth feature is characterized in that the control means provides a standard control display if the storage means holds no job with the user identification ID.
In accordance with the sixth aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus having the above fourth feature is characterized in that the control means provides a standard control display along with the content display of the jobs stored in the storage means if the storage means holds no job with the user identification ID of a user approaching the image forming apparatus while there exist other jobs in the storage portion.
In accordance with the seventh aspect of the present invention, a control method for an image forming apparatus which stores a multiple number of image forming jobs in a storage means, performs predetermined image forming based on the image forming jobs and has a control display portion for providing control display as to the jobs, includes the steps of:
identifying a user approaching the image forming apparatus; and
changing the display content of control display based on the status of stored image forming jobs in the storage means and the user identification information of a user who has been identified by the identifying means.
In accordance with the eighth aspect of the present invention, a control method for an image forming apparatus which has a storage means for storing a multiple number of image forming jobs and provides control display in accordance with the type of each job, includes the steps of: storing a job and a user identification ID attached to thereto;
identifying a user approaching the image forming apparatus;
determining whether the storage means is holding a job with the user identification ID of a user identified by the identifying means; and
changing the display content of control display in accordance with the type of the job with the user identification ID of the user approaching the image forming apparatus when the storage means holds a job with the user identification ID.
In accordance with the ninth aspect of the present invention, the control method having the above eighth feature is characterized in that the display change is performed so that a standard control display is displayed if the storage means holds no job with the user identification ID.
In accordance with the tenth aspect of the present invention, the control method having the above eighth feature is characterized in that the display change is performed so that a standard control display along with the content display of the jobs stored in the storage means is displayed if the storage means holds no job with the user identification ID of a user approaching the image forming apparatus while there exist other jobs in the storage portion.